Kabul, Afghanistan – Afghans affected by an outbreak of Taliban fighting in a strategic district bordering the southern city of Kandahar have returned to their villages after a week of crisis sparked by the death of a tribal strongman.

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, in a meeting with Japan’s deputy foreign minister Itsunori Onodera, underlined Tehran’s industrious efforts to release a Japanese student who was abducted in southern Iran a few weeks ago.

A prominent Iranian MP Sunday dismissed a recent proposal raised by Saudi officials for the establishment of a consortium to enrich uranium for Iran and other regional countries, saying that the Islamic Republic does not need to supply nuclear fuel from another country.